The case for banning cookie banners

Key takeaways

Cookie banners are seen as a significant problem that need to be reconsidered and potentially banned due to their ineffectiveness in protecting user privacy.
The Ask Maps feature in Google Maps showcases the potential and challenges of AI in enhancing user experiences, providing tailored recommendations while also raising privacy concerns.
E-Ink phones represent a potential solution for those seeking to escape digital distractions, though current technologies still fall short of delivering a fully satisfactory user experience.

Summary

The Cookie Banner Controversy

David Pierce introduces the discussion about cookie banners, the annoying pop-ups that demand user consent for tracking online. He presents Kate Klonick, a professor and author who argues that these cookie banners should be banned entirely, as they are not just a benign nuisance but a significant issue related to user privacy and consent in the digital space. Kate explains the history of cookie banners, how they developed in response to European privacy laws, and their evolution into a system that has become more about compliance than actual user empowerment.

AI and the Ask Maps Feature

In the latter part of the episode, Allison Johnson shares her experience with Google Maps' new feature, Ask Maps, which utilizes AI to recommend locations and navigate daily life. She describes how it functions as a chat interface, allowing users to ask personalized questions about local options for dining and activities, streamlining the exploration process. Allison emphasizes its ability to enhance user experience in a way that feels both innovative and slightly intrusive, as it trades on user data while aiming to provide value.

The E-Ink Phone Experiment

In the podcast’s closing segment, a listener question leads to a conversation about the potential of E-Ink phones as a remedy for digital overload. Both David and Allison discuss the feasibility and desirability of phones designed primarily for reading and reduced distractions. They reflect on the existing limitations of E-Ink technology and acknowledge that separating e-reading capabilities from typical smartphone functions could be beneficial, albeit challenging.

Show notes

Cookie banners — those pop-ups that appear on practically every webpage demanding you accept their tracking systems — are one of the most consistent low-grade annoyances of life online. But Kate Klonick, a professor and writer, argues they're actually much worse than that, and the only plausible solution is to get rid of them entirely. After that, The Verge's Allison Johnson tells us about her AI-enhanced Google Maps experience, and why the new Ask Maps feature has the potential to be both incredibly cool and incredibly creepy. Then, she helps David answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email ⁠vergecast@theverge.com⁠!) about whether E Ink phones might solve all our problems.

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